Spring spreader



Patented June 12, 1923.

UNHTE fiTATEd attain PATENT @FFHQE.

SPRING SPREADER.

Application filed September 7, 1922.

T all w ham it may concern Be it known that I, Go'rrmnc L. E. KLINGBEIL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Umaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring present invention is to provide a spring spreader constructed in such manner that by a single movement of an operating handle all of the leaves of a spring will be separated simultaneously and automatically held in such separated condition during the time that they are being lubricated or otherwise worked upon.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a spring spreader constructed in accordance with the inventioni Fig. 2 is a detail view of the upper end of one of the standards looking in a direction'at right angles to Fig. 1 and illustrating a wedge assembly hereinafter described;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the I wedge elements and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the complete wedge assembly.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

The spring spreader of the present in-- vention comprises a base 5 in which a tilting block 6 is mounted upon trunnions 7.-

Substantially vertical standards 8 and 9 are pivoted in the tilting block at 10 and 11. The upper ends ofthese standards are moved toward and from each other by a self locking mechanism which consists of a transverse shaft 12 mounted in upstanding portions 13 of the tilting block 7 and procrank which acts upon it.

Serial No. 586,776.

vided with an an ular end 14 for the reception of a hancfie or other suitable tool by which a partial turning movement may be imparted to the shaft. The shaft 12 carries cranks 15 to the outer ends of which bent'links 16 and 17 are pivotally connected at 18 and 19, respectively. The outer ends of these bent links are pivotally connected at 20 and 21 to the lower ends of levers 22 and 23. These levers, in turn, are pivotally connected at 24 and 25 to the standards and said levers at their upper extremities are pivotally connected at 26 and 27 to the cross links 28 and 29, respectively. The link 28 is pivotally connected at 30 to the standard 9 and the link 29 is pivotally connected at 31 to the standard 8. Thus it will be seen that if a turning movement be imparted to the shaft 12 by the application of the proper tool to the angular head 1% of said shaft and the bent links 16 and 17 be thrown to the position illustrated in Fig. 1 the standards will be forcibly moved toward each other due to the levers 22 and 28 acting directly upon the standards at pivot points 24 and 25 .and

upon the opposed standards through the crossed links 28 and 29. It will further be seen that the standards will remain in the position to which they are moved when they are brought forcibly together due to the fact that with the parts in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 a line drawn from pivot point 19 to pivot point 21 lies below the center of the shaft 12. In other words that portion of the crank 15 which acts upon the link 17 has been moved to past centerposition and the same is true with respect to link 16 and that part of the The upper portions of the standards are slotted. as indicated at 35 for the reception of wedge assemblies, said wedge assemblies being bodily 'insertable in the upper portions of the standards as units. The purpose of arranging the parts in the manner described is to render it possible to easily and quickly place different wedge assemblies in position according to the size, width and thickness of the springs which are to be acted upon. Cars of many different makes are brought to public garages to have. their springs lubricated. Thus it is necessary to provide. in an article of this nature, means for readily adapting it to take care of the different sizes of springs. To this end I provide the wedge assemblies consisting;.- of:- bolts 36-having handles 37 at: their upper ends. openings 38 formedina plurality of wedge elements 39. A spring 40 bears between a collar 41 and a plate 42 and this plate is adapted to rest upon the tops of the stand ards and to span the slotted portions 35 thereof. The wedge elements 39 are provided with shoulders 4:3'which-rest against the front faces of those portions of the standards which lie upon-opposite sides of the slotted portions thereof and which takethe rearward thrust of these wedge elements andurelieve the bolts of this strain. The lower ends ofthe'boltsare reduced, asindicated'at 4A to enter openings 45 formed in the standards. A plate 46 havinga rounded upper face 46 is threaded at 47 upon the lower portion of the bolts andthe rounding of the upper face of this plate facilitates tipping movement of the wedge elements as they individually seek to come to a; position of rest with their pointer inner ends engaged in the grooves between the leaves of the springsfto be spread. I preferably dispose a spring- 48 between plate 46 andthe bottom ofthe bi-, furcated portion of the standards. thrusting bodily downward upon the top of these bolts the group of wedges may be given a limited vertical movement as a,

whole to bring about a coarse adjustment of the vertical position of the several wedge elements; Capability of the wedge elements of individual movement permits the several wedge elements to seek a position of rest "with their pointed inner ends engaging in the grooves between the leaves of the springs as hereinbefore stated.

It is to be. understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth but that it includes within, its purviewwhatever changes fairly come within either.

the terms or the spirit of the appended claims. r

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a pair of elements movable toward and from each other and individual wedge assemblies for each of said elements removably mounted thereon, each of said wedge assemblies comprising a, group of individually movable wedges and means for holding them in assembled relation when removed.

removable wedge assemblies upon each of 2. A device of the character described, comprising a pair of elements movable toward and from each other, self-locking means for locking these elements in position when drawn toward each other, 'and said elements, each ofsaid-wedge assemblies These bolts pass through elongatedcomprising a group of individually movable wedges and means forholdingathem in assembled relation when removed. I

3. A'device-of, the character described, comprising a supporting base, a pair of standards pivoted thereon, a transverse shaft pivoted thereon, a IPZLlI'. of cranks carried by said shaft, links pivotally connected to the outer ends of said cranks; levers pivoted to the said standards and 'to the outer ends of said links, and crossed links pivotally connected to the upper ends of'saidlevers and to the opposed standards.

i. A structure as'recited in claim 3, wherein the throw-of the cranks is such that the first-named links are moved to past center position when the standards are drawn t o I tiltingblock trunnioned thereon, a trans verse shaft supported upon the laterally tilting block, oppositely extending crankscarried by said shaft, bent links pivotally connected to the outer ends ofsaid crank,

levers pivotally connected to theouter ends of said; links, standards pivoted to move toward and from each other upon the laterally tilting block, said levers being like wise pivoted to saidstandards intermediate the ends of said levers, crossed links to which the upper ends of said levers are pivoted, the opposite ends ofsaid; links being pivoted to the opposed standards, and wedge elements individually adjustable mounted in the standards. p

8. In combination, a supporting element, a wedge assembly comprising a supporting bolt, a plurality ofwedge' elements upon upper portions of said said bolt mounted in the supporting 'ele-- Inen t. said. wedge elements having elongated openings formed therein through which said bolt passes, a block upon the bolt beneath said wed-ge 'elements, sa'idblock having a rounded upper face, and spring means for mounting said bolt for yielding vertical movement with respect to thesupporting element.

In testimony whereof I affix my signav ture in the presence of two witnesses GOTTLIEB' L. E. 'KLINGBEIL.

Witnesses: p I

Ross L. gHAFTON,

. MAUDE (3,:SHnrsnt. 

